posted 11-08-2008 09:00 PM            

The "first" BP from that testing was Gemini BP 206, the well-known "El Kabong I" now refurbished and on display in the Air Zoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

But the one I am seeking was Gemini BP 205, nicknamed "Famous Flying Franistan I". Jim Gerard's website indicates that it was previously on display at the White Sands (New Mexico) Space Harbor, but recent correspondence with them indicates that they never heard of it and have no idea of its whereabouts. Both Gemini BP 205 and 206 were built in-house by NASA Manned Spacecraft Center.

Note that, on A Field Guide to American Spacecraft, BP 205 is incorrectly affiliated with the paraglider program. No criticism of Jim — the Air Zoo misidentified El Kabong the same way, until I suggested that they correct it, just recently. They said that the people from Washington (presumably the Smithsonian, who loaned it to them) never noticed the mistake.

posted 12-01-2008 09:43 PM            

The Gemini Land Landing System, consisting of a Para-Sail plus landing rockets, was tested in Texas in 1964-1965, and actually completed its demonstration tests before the Rogallo paraglider overcame its technical issues and also demonstrated its successful capabilities, at Edwards AFB in California.

But the widespread impression is that the parasail and paraglider programs were the same, and that the El Kabong boilerplate was used in Rogallo tests. This is probably because no-one, forty years later, can imagine that there were two parallel land-landing systems being tested simultaneously, both using Gemini-style boilerplates, both hoping to be used for some of the final manned Gemini flights, both managed out of NASA MSC, and both in direct competition with each other!

posted 12-03-2008 05:55 PM               

I can't put my fingers on a list of Gemini boilerplates, but I know we have that somewhere.